The 3 airlines that have entered insolvency in 2026 so far

Several airlines entered liquidation in 2025, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, including:

• Blue Islands Limited (UK) – November
• Air Kilroe Limited t/a Eastern Airways (UK) – November
• Play Airlines (Iceland) – September

This turbulence in the airline industry has carried over into 2026, with more airlines shutting down or entering insolvency.

The 3 airlines that have entered liquidation or administration in 2026

Three airlines have entered administration or liquidation in 2026 (so far), resulting in the cancellation of more than 4,000 flights:

EcoJet Airlines

EcoJet Airlines, based in Edinburgh, launched in 2023 after being founded by entrepreneur and Ecotricity founder Dale Vince OBE and pilot Brent Smith.

It was billed as “the world’s first Electric Airline” and had a fleet comprised of conventional planes retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains.

EcoJet Airlines flights across the UK were scheduled to begin in 2024, starting with an Edinburgh to Southampton route.

The company had also planned to expand to mainland Europe, with long-haul flights planned for the future.

However, EcoJet Airlines has now entered liquidation, according to Companies House.

Court documents revealed that Paul Dounis and Mark Harper from Opus Restructuring were appointed as liquidators last month.

Opus, speaking to The Herald, said the move followed a “voluntary liquidation initiated by the company’s board”.

It added: “EcoJet was a start-up business and has no material assets.

“The members have elected to fund the liquidation process to ensure that the company’s employees receive their full statutory entitlements.”

Despite EcoJet falling into liquidation, Mr Vince, in The Herald, said: “We remain committed to electrifying all forms of transport – aviation is the last frontier and the hardest.

“It’s taking longer than we hoped to get the technology and regulatory pieces of the puzzle in alignment, and so we’re pausing work at this time.”

Royal Air Philippines

Royal Air Philippines is a budget airline based in the Philippines, which first began operations in 2018.

It operates domestic flights in the Philippines and international flights to other Asian countries, including:

• Cambodia
• China
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• South Korea
• Taiwan

Royal Air Philippines started as a charter airline, named Royal Air Charter Service, in 2002, before receiving a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Civil Aeronautics Board in 2017, allowing it to offer regular commercial flights (which launched in 2018).

“By 2020, the airline had expanded its fleet with the introduction of Airbus A319/A320 jets – this allowed the airline to carry more passengers and offer long-haul routes,” Alternative Airlines added.

But Royal Air Philippines has now fallen into administration, with around 4,000 flights between January and March (2026) cancelled as a result.

The airline is currently working to provide affected passengers with refunds, according to the Daily Express.

The airline’s website previously read: “We are working on providing refunds and hope to resume flights at an unspecified date in the future.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding. We eagerly anticipate welcoming you aboard soon.”

Access to the Royal Air Philippines website is no longer available, with those trying to access the website greeted with a “ready when you are” message, with a type of ‘loading’ spinning circle.

The failure of Royal Air Philippines is believed to be a result of decreased flight numbers in recent years, Philstar Global said.

Dove Airlines

Dove Airlines is a charter airline based in Kolkata, which launched back in 2007.

The Indian-based airline entered voluntary liquidation in January, according to The Street.

Meanwhile, fellow chartered carrier Legend Airlines (Romania) has reportedly shut down.

The Street reported the airline has “officially gone dormant” after retiring two of its A340 planes.

UK travel companies that have closed in 2026 (so far)

Four UK travel companies have also ceased trading in 2026, resulting in the cancellation of flights and holiday packages to destinations around the world.

The four UK travel companies that have closed down in 2026 (so far) are:

• Regen Central Ltd
• Gold Crest Holidays
• Asiara UK Ltd
• Simply Florida Travel Ltd

All four have ceased trading, according to Companies House, and have lost their Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL).

Have you been impacted by the insolvency of any of these airlines? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.